Evolution of Movies

Moving Image 1824-1894

1824

The moving image began in 1824, which was the beginning of the art of cinema. Sir John's invention, the thaumatrope, consisted of image flashes that were placed in front of your eyes to see the stop motion of continuous images.
Other devices created in this era were:
The 1820s: Thaumatrope
The 1830s: Phenakistoscope and Zoetrope
The 1870s: Praxinoscope
The 1890s: Kinestocope (Era ends in 1894) Illustration from Motion Gallery, Thaumatrope (1824)

Pionner Era 1895 - 1910

1895

This era started the film world without being a filmmaker since they had no experience in filmmaking. These films ran for only 5 minutes with stunning visual effects. However, it pioneered the cinema world with recordings of newsreels and documentaries. In 1902, George Melies introduced the proposal of narrative films where the plot of the film and its dialogues were explained. Illustration from a scene from A Trip to the Moon (1902).

Silent Era 1911 - 1929

1911

It was marked as the dawn of cinematography with great productions. The Lumière Brothers invented cinematography and took over the era that would usher in the cinematic art we know today. Although this era ended in 1929 with the Talkie Era, it is important to highlight the creation of Hollywood in 1910 giving production to period films and well-known actors of the time. Silent Era Movies: City Lights, Charlie Chaplin (1931)

The Talkies 1929 - 1938

1929

This era was the beginning of great scripts and dialogue in movies. Hollywood together with Warner Bros. created the first experiment with background vocals and more ambient sounds with the film "The Jazz Singer". This was a tremendous step in the evolution of movies and the inception of the horror genre and monster films. The Talkies Movies:
Frankenstein (1931)
Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) Illustration from The bride of the Monster(1935)

Golden Era 1939 - 1954

1939

Between 1939 and 1954, World War II brought great classics to the restructuring of Hollywood; the assistance of improved technology for the time ushered in the colour films and started the genres of comedy, science fiction, gangster films, and slapstick films. Also, during this period, Indian cinema made its appearance and gained popularity. Golden Era Movies:
Singing in the Rain (1952)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)

The Change 1955 - 1976

1955

More than an era, it was a change in the cinema world. It broke conventional thinking by changing the way films were viewed in terms of interesting story structure, editing, screenplay, etc. The cinema viewing experience and the screen was developed in order to enhance to a new era. It was the time of productions and classics that are seen today and are known by young people and grown-ups alike. Change Movies: Bonnie and Clyde (1967) Illustration from IMDb, Cash On Demand (1961)

Dawn of Modern Era 1977 - 1990s

1977

Thanks to the technological advance of the computer, it was possible to achieve effects that were mind-blowing and revolutionary for the time. In particular, films like Star Wars showed that Hollywood could make a production of such magnitude for the art of cinema, making the film a classic and creating prestige to science fiction. Also, it triggered the disaster era. Dawn of Modern Film:
Star Wars (1977)
The Goonies (1985)
The Witches (1995) Illustration from IMDb, Star Wars Episode IV (1977)

New Millenium Era

2000

Films created from the beginning of 2000 to the present. The world of cinema is now a major business worldwide, creating great competitions in the most renowned production companies. Nowadays films have a deep background in which a new film is created by remaking films belonging to other eras or those works of literature that have not been discovered. However, great directors of the era have made excellent films that have given value to this era. Illustration from Warner Bro. Joker (2019)